UAE has been ranked 12th most connected country in the world, according to a new report, which analyzed 140 nations in all regions of the world. The country stands out as the exception as the Middle East and North Africa region was the only region, reporting drop in connectedness.
The ranking, released by global logistics leader DHL in November, looks at countries’ connectedness, based on flows of trade, capital, information and people. The third annual Global Connectedness Index (GCI) shows that globalization has recovered immensely from the financial crisis, with emerging economies experiencing larger progress than developed countries. Although the list is dominated again by European nations, researchers say that the economic center of the world is now shifting eastward. Out of 140 countries, analyzed in 2014, Netherlands tops the ranking, being the best connected economy, followed by Ireland and Singapore.
Top 10 Most Connected Countries in the World in 2014
- Netherlands
- Ireland
- Singapore
- Belgium
- Luxemburg
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- Denmark
- Germany
- Sweden
The most internationally integrated Asian nation is Singapore, while in the MENA region, this is the United Arab Emirates, which demonstrated an increase of 6 positions from 2013, landing on 12th place worldwide. According to DHL, the UAE has grown to one of the world’s busiest logistics hubs, which is reflected in the latest GCI. The country’s essential location between the East and the West boost international trade, business relations, capital flow and consequently the flow of workforce. Recently, Dubai International Airport was recognized as the busiest airport across the globe, overtaking previous leader London’s Heathrow. Dubai and the UAE are also known as among the most attractive destinations for foreign workers, which arrive not only from the region, but from all across the world.
The GCI measures not simply the cross-border flow of trade, capital, information and people, but also the “depth” and “breadth” dimensions of a country’s international integration. While the “depth” is determined by the comparison between international economic flows and domestic components – such as export versus GDP, the “breadth” of the country is measured by the extent of the geographical distribution of each international component of economic activity.
